It’s a Victory for Johnson but a Setback for His Sport

The only thing I’d rather have seen than Michael Johnson winning the 400 meters at track and field’s World Championships on Tuesday in Athens would have been for him not to be on the track.

Let me explain. Johnson didn’t enter the national championships in June because of an injury. In the past, that would have meant he was ineligible for the World Championships.

But IAAF President Primo Nebiolo extended Johnson and other defending world champions special invitations even if they hadn’t qualified for national teams.

Nebiolo said he did it for the good of the sport.

It was good for the World Championships.

It was not, however, good for the sport in the United States.

We have the fairest system in the world for selecting track and field athletes to compete in the World Championships and Olympics. Finish in the top three and you’re in. Finish out of the top three and you’re out.

Nebiolo threatens to subvert that system.

If he continues to offer byes, there’s another threat that could prove even more perilous for the already endangered sport in the United States.

With only one IAAF Grand Prix meet in the United States and no other meets offering as much money as those in Europe and Japan, the best U.S. athletes have little incentive to compete at home except when required in the national championships.

Now, they might not even have to compete in the national championships.

“We really need these guys at our [national meet],” USA Track & Field spokesman Tom Surber said. “It’s our Super Bowl.”

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Among the chosen in Esquire’s “Women We Love” issue is Martina Hingis, who opens play tonight in Manhattan Beach’s Acura Classic. . . .

“Tigress Woods,” author Mike Lupica calls her. . . .

Walt Frazier writes about the Sparks’ Lisa Leslie. “She is tenacious, sagacious and vivacious,” he says with his usual flair. . . .

Courtney Love might not be one of the women Esquire loves, but she’s high on Dennis Rodman’s list. . . .

He wants her for her mind, asking her for help in cleaning up his image, as she did hers. . . .

The grand finale of the Fila Summer Pro League last Sunday matched prep all-star teams, including one consisting primarily of future UCLA Bruins such as Baron Davis, Billy Knight, Earl Watson and Rico Hines. . . .

They won when Davis went coast to coast for a last-second finger roll. . . .

Maybe they’ll see Jerry Robinson around campus. The former All-American linebacker plans to re-enroll at UCLA to get his degree. . . .

On Aug. 16, he’ll be inducted into college football’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony in South Bend, Ind. . . .

The Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles has ticket packages available for USC fans who want to go along for the Oct. 18 game between the teams in South Bend. . . .

High on USC’s list of running back recruits is Tyree Washington, who finished third in the 400 in track and field’s World Championships. He has one year of junior college left at San Bernardino Valley. . . .

My apologies to UCLA Coach Bob Toledo. Five quarterbacks the Bruins face this season are among the top six as ranked by one publication. It’s the Sporting News. . . .

UCLA’s Cade McNown isn’t in the top 20. Mistake. . . .

Among the items auctioned on Nov. 21 at San Francisco’s Cow Palace to celebrate the 100th Big Game between Stanford and California are walk-on roles on “Murphy Brown” and “The X-Files.” . . .

The only thing that doesn’t ring true about the imaginary Texas town of Arlen on Fox’s animated “King of the Hill” is that the residents, male and female, aren’t completely infatuated with the Dallas Cowboys. . . .

The producers presumably are correcting that, hiring Troy Aikman to lend his voice to an episode next season. . . .

Fun with guns? . . .

I’m not talking about Barry Switzer or Allen Iverson. The double trap scores--116 of 120 and 118 of 120--by El Monte Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode in the national championships would have counted as world records if they had been shot in international competition. . . .

“Leave the beaches and come to the stadium.” . . .

That was Nebiolo’s order to Athenians, who responded by almost filling Olympic Stadium on Tuesday after all but ignoring the track and field championships earlier. . . .

Maybe that would work for Tony Tavares.

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While wondering how many fantasy baseball managers had Brad Radke high on their lists, I was thinking: Those who did should be the ones angling for Fred Claire’s job, maybe the NFL should forget L.A. and put a team in Mexico City, I always heard it was against the law in Texas not to carry a gun.